Desert Ties
by Phantomstar07
Summary: [Sequel to Horrors of the Past] Ramenai returns! This story chronicles the lives of his twin cubs, Jelani and Ramla, and each of their forbidden loves and desires in the desert wastelands... R&R! Enjoy!
1. A Family

**A/N: Ramenai returns!! I know how many of you were so fond of him… heck, I was sad to see the end of the last story. So, because I was suddenly inspired the other day, here's the story of Ramenai and his cubs, and their forbidden desires in the desert wastelands...**

**Chapter One: A Family**

A low snarl carried across the desert as Ntombi birthed her cubs. They were twins, one coming right after the other. Both strong, worthy little creatures. She lay with her head pressed against the ground, clenching her teeth for a few moments as the pain slowly subsided. Then she turned, maternal instincts kicking in with overwhelming force as she licked the mucus from their tiny, furry bodies. The cubs squeaked angrily as her rough tongue rasped over them, and they cautiously snuggled into her cream-colored belly fur. Ntombi smiled softly, relieved that they had both made it through their first trial of life.

Ramenai licked her ear affectionately, having approached from a few paces away. He gazed down at the two cubs now fighting for a meal and couldn't stop a smile. "They are perfect," he breathed, nuzzling Ntombi again.

"Yes," she agreed. "And I have already decided on names… well, one. The boy is Jelani."

"The mighty warrior," Ramenai mused, thinking it over. "I like it. And the girl?"

"I don't know yet," Ntombi said, looking at the smaller of her two offspring. Ramenai grew thoughtful, scuffing his paw in the dirt. "I like Ramla."

Ntombi cocked her head, considering. "Yes, that one's good." She licked the cubs again, unable to stay away from them. "They're so beautiful," she said, lying back carefully so she wouldn't disturb their feeding. Ramenai licked her exposed neck. "As are you."

"Don't even try anything," she scolded lightly, too tired to actually follow through with any threats. "You do not want to see me angry right now."

He arched an eyebrow. "I'll take your word for it, then." Bending down, he nuzzled the cubs tenderly into Ntombi's belly fur before rising and padding away.

Ntombi sighed heavily, her head falling back against the ground. She had never been this tired… but the cubs were worth it.

_A few months later…_

"Come on, Ramla!" her friend Yewande squealed. The two cubs raced over a sandy embankment and rolled down the hill, laughing and spitting out sand as they went. Ramla blinked and looked around. "Where's Tendai gone?"

Yewande stood up and shook her light-colored coat. "Dunno. Should we go look for her?"

The cubs were about to set off when a ferocious yowl stopped them in their tracks. Tendai leaped over the sand dune and landed on both of them, and all three tumbled into the sand again, squealing harder than ever.

"No fair!" Yewande gasped, batting Ramla's tail out of her face. "You're not allowed to sneak up! No fair!"

"Says who?" Tendai grinned, flattening her large paws into the sand so she could stand properly. "It just makes it that much more fun!"

"No it doesn't," her friend grumbled. Ramla shook her head at the other two. "You're both crazy."

And that was how all three ended up in a furious wrestling match. Yewande squealed as Ramla kicked sand in her face, and tried to retaliate by pulling Tendai's tail.

"Are you telling me that _this _is how the next leader of the Desert Pride is spending her time?" a voice said loudly, and the girls stopped. Ramla was on the bottom of their little pile. Squinting in the sun, she looked up and recognized her brother.

"Shut up, Jelani!" she yelled. "I can do what I want!"

He smirked in reply. "I'm just saying, you probably aren't impressing your future husband."

Ramla frowned and struggled out from under her two cohorts. "What are you talking about?"

Jelani stepped aside, and she saw Chima standing behind him. Ramla cocked her head, unimpressed. "D'you know something I don't?"

The pair of them swept down the embankment, Jelani nudging Chima forward. "You might say that," Jelani said, swiping a paw at his whiskers.

Ramla stamped her paws impatiently. "Well, what?"

He sat down calmly, relishing the fact that his sister actually _wanted_ to know something from him. Jelani indicated his best friend.

"Me and Chima heard Dad talking with Zanat and Desta," he explained. "He says you two are gonna be maaaaaarrieeeeed, haha!"

Ramla looked back and forth between the two of them. "He's joking, right?" she asked Chima. He shook his head, although he wasn't nearly as excited by the idea as Jelani was.

"But that's crazy!" she exclaimed. "Marrying Chima would be like… like… like marrying you!" she retorted, tackling Jelani. He rolled her over swiftly, his glee turning ugly in a split second.

"No it wouldn't," he said with disgust. "That's nasty, Ramla. You and Chima aren't related."

"We might as well be!" Ramla shot back. "We play together all the time, he's my friend!"

Yewande and Tendai had sat down to watch. "It would be kinda strange," Yewande said, thinking out loud more than anything. Ramla whirled on her.

"_Kinda_ strange? Just _kinda strange?_" she yelped. "The entire world would be insane!"

Jelani shook his head. "Ramla, quit being dramatic. It would all be for the best –"

"Best for who, Jelani? Best for Mom and Dad? Best for Chima? Because it definitely wouldn't be best for me!"

Ramla spun on her heel and dashed away in a panic, despising the very idea. How could her parents do this? Surely they'd seen how the cubs played together? She and Chima had never showed any sort of affection for each other besides sibling rivalry and playfulness. What were they thinking?


	2. Intruder!

**Chapter Two: Intruder!**

Blinded by sudden tears, Ramla shut her eyes and kept running. She felt the smooth grass turn to dust under her paws. Her own sobbing breaths filled her ears. Small pebbles caught in her pads and she winced, still not opening her eyes. Then she felt the ground disappear from beneath her, and she was tumbling head over heels down a steep incline. Ramla's eyes flew open just in time to see a flash of tawny-colored pelt before she sailed across it. She landed in the dirt, completely winded and still with tear streaks on her face.

"Hey – are you okay?" So the tawny-pelted animal was another cub. He crept up beside her and peered into her eyes. "I saw you rolling down the hill there, but I didn't have enough time to get out of the way."

Ramla shook her head slightly, getting the dust out of her eyes. "I'm sorry about that," she said quietly, not looking at him. She didn't like it when anyone saw her cry, most of all a stranger. What would he think?

But the new cub wouldn't give up. "Hey," he said again, pawing her shoulder gently. "Hey, are you all right?"

"I'm FINE!" she burst out, leaping to her feet in the same instant. The cub backed off immediately.

"S-sorry," he said, having somersaulted backwards to put distance between them. "I-I didn't mean to – I mean I just – sorry."

Ramla took a shaky breath and sat down, staring at her paws. "No… I'm sorry," she confessed. "I wasn't watching where I was going, it's my fault."

Now that she looked at him, the cub seemed very intriguing to her. His coat was a dusty shade of tawny, probably from rolling in the dust just now. His belly and tail were a bit darker brown, and a small scruff of fur flopped over partially into his eyes. His eyes… his eyes which were a mesmerizing olive green. They took Ramla's breath away even as she sat there looking at him.

The cub fidgeted with his paws in the dirt. "I'm Mosi," he said finally, looking up at her shyly, and Ramla realized she was sitting as her father had taught her to all these years. "Sit royally, with your head up, chest out, ears erect and attentive, and no one will ever look down on you," he'd said. She'd never listened, apparently, until now. This cub was intimidated by her stance. She relaxed almost immediately.

"I'm Ramla," she stated proudly. "Where are you from?"

Mosi gave her another shifty look. "Nowhere," he said dully, looking at the ground. Ramla walked closer and sat down again. She didn't want him to be afraid.

"Do you need a home? You could live with me, you know, we have plenty of room at home for someone else—"

"No thank you," he said, quietly and firmly at the same time. "I don't have a pride of my own, and it wouldn't feel right to intrude like that, so I think—"

A low growl stopped Mosi in his tracks, and Ramla looked around. Jelani stood at the top of the ridge, flanked by Chima and Jengo, another of his friends. He cleared the hill in a single leap and landed between her and Mosi. Chima and Jengo stayed where they were, content to watch.

Jelani glared at the newcomer. "Stay away from my sister, you," he spat. Mosi backed away slowly, his eyes wary but unafraid. Ramla turned on her brother. "Jelani, what's your problem? We just met, there's nothing wrong with –"

"Go home, Ramla," he ordered, still watching Mosi. "Mom's worried sick about you, you're lucky she hasn't said anything about you getting punished yet."

Chima and Jengo still stood watching from above, so there was nothing Ramla could really do to defend herself or her new friend. "Fine," she growled. The pair clambered back up the hill, and Jelani turned back to look at Mosi one last time.

"Don't come back here again, outsider," he snarled. Mosi's eyes flicked from Jelani to Ramla, filled with confusion and sadness. But he spun and took off across the desert all the same.

**A/N: sorry it's not as long as the first one, I'm still working on fleshing everything out, so it'll probably be kind of slow posting for awhile. Bear with me and thanks for reading! Reviews are always welcome!**

**Ash**


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